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Teen clinging to cliff put on hold

A teenage climber dialed 999 when he was left clinging for his life to the side of a cliff - and was put on hold. Terry Price, 16, was stuck more than an hour after seeing his mate Roy Williams, 18, plunge 40ft to the ground. He called 999 from the cliff in Uphill, Somerset but was connected to police in South Wales and Nottinghamshire before finally being put through to the local force.

Terry said: “I was hanging on for my life and they put me on hold when I rang 999. It was half-an-hour before I was put through to the right person and another hour until they arrived. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like I was clinging on for ages - it was my worst nightmare.”

According to the Daily Mail, Roy suffered a fractured thumb, broken tooth and facial injuries and was badly shaken up.

BT spokesman Jason Mann said: “We are very sorry that this happened. When we get a 999 call from a mobile, the operator can see which mast the call came through and identify which area’s emergency department they should put the caller through to. It appears the young man’s signal was picked up by a mast in South Wales instead of one in Somerset.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .